


OZ or the Trouble With Dorothy

by ElicBxn



Category: Oz - L. Frank Baum
Genre: Wizard of Oz References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 19:04:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20296456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElicBxn/pseuds/ElicBxn
Summary: Dorothy isn't happy and doesn't know why.





	OZ or the Trouble With Dorothy

"Hold it, put down that wrench," the Royal Engineer of Oz told his assistant. "We don't want to wake the Princess Dorothy, I hear that she hasn't been sleeping well lately.

* * * * *

And she wasn't asleep now, Dorothy thought miserably as she overheard the two men talking. You never saw the maintenance work go on, and Dorothy had always before thought it was done by magic. Now, she knew they did it in the middle of the night.  
Princess Dorothy had moved permanently to Emerald City when the bank foreclosed on Uncle Henry's farm. Her best friend was Princess Ozma, the Ruler of the Land of Oz. So what else could a sweet, honest, little girl want?

Dorothy was sure she didn't know, all she did know was that something was wanting.

"Ozma?" she asked, that morning at breakfast.

"Yes, Dorothy, dear?" the gentle ruler responded.

"Could I borrow the Sawhorse and the Red Wagon for a short trip to see Nick Chopper?"

"Certainly. In fact, I could probably take off a few days and...."

"Oh, no, Ozma," Dorothy interrupted. She blushed and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Ozma," she apologized, being a polite and well brought up girl, "I just want to make a quick visit out to see Nick and, perhaps, Scarecrow on the way back."

Ozma, although she had been busy with the affairs of running her land, had not failed to notice that her playmate had been quieter than usual recently. She had figured that Dorothy would consult her if she needed to. Now, she asked, "Is something wrong?"  
"I don't know," Dorothy said, frowning. "I just thought that there might be something that Nick, with his deeply caring heart, might be able to advise me on."

Ozma smiled and came around the table to give her friend a hug. "Of course, Dorothy. But please don't stay away too long."

"I won't, Ozma," the little girl promised.

* * * * *

By the middle of the afternoon, the speedy, gold shod Sawhorse had pulled up before the Tin Woodman's shiny golden tin castle.

There was a brief, joyful reunion between the old friends and then they went in. Dorothy was a popular visitor because, while the Scarecrow was a frequent visitor, the staff of the Tin Man's castle seldom got to entertain live visitors. Dorothy smiled graciously through their welcome until they all discreetly withdrew to allow their Emperor to visit with his little friend.

"So, Dorothy, what do I owe this unexpected, but very welcome, visit to?" Nick's kindly heart gave him a wisdom all his own.

"Oh, Nick!" she exclaimed. "I don't know what's wrong with me, but lately I feel like my heart is just breaking and I don't know what's wrong!"

"But if you're sad, surely something is making you that way?"

"That's just it. Everything seems the same, but I'm still sad. Do you remember that Tour we went on a while back, I suggested it, but it didn't really help. I'll be happy for a while, but it always comes back."

"That's terrible, Dorothy, with all your friends here and Toto, you're never alone."

"But I can be surrounded by my friends and still be sad."

"Have you talked to anyone else? Dot? Trot?"

"No, why?"

"Well, they're little girls too."

"Maybe they won't feel it. Maybe there is something is wrong with me!"

"Maybe," Nick said slowly. "What I feel will be best for you to do, Dorothy, is that we should go see the Scarecrow."

"How very clever of you," Dorothy exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm not clever, Dorothy. My heart feels for you, but I feel that wisdom, and not feelings, will be more useful to you."

"We could go now," Dorothy suggested.

Nick glanced out the window at the darkening sky, then shook his head. "Tonight, you'd better stay here and in the morning, be rested for your journey."

Dorothy gave her hard, caring friend an embrace that he gently returned.

* * * * *

Dorothy was up and breakfasted by light. Sweet orange juice from the southern part of the Woodman's lands was a fine counter to golden corn cereal covered with sweet peaches. A neat arrangement of peach flowers on the table were from the same tree as the fruit, Nick assured her. That was one of the delightful things about Oz, the plants could be in flower and fruit at the same time.

Since the Scarecrow's castle was nearby, Nick Chopper decided to accompany his little friend there on the Red Wagon.

Dorothy had to hold her bonnet on as the Sawhorse sped tirelessly down the road.

The Scarecrow came out to greet them and got a great hug from Dorothy. After they patted him back into shape, they went inside.

Several of the Scarecrow's neighbors, when they saw Dorothy arrive, came over with food and drink. They knew that they were fortunate to have the Scarecrow as a neighbor since the royalty of Oz would come and visit him. 

"What's the problem?" the Scarecrow asked, knowing that the unannounced visit had to be for a reason.

"Dorothy is sad," the Tin Woodman told his friend.

"And I don't know why," Dorothy added.

"What have you done to try and be happy?" the Scarecrow asked.

"Well, I play everyday with my friends, and we took that Tour a while back."

"Hmm," the Scarecrow said. "Let me think on this for a while." He went and sat in a corner, rubbed his head and thought.

Dorothy and the Woodman could soon see the needles and pins of his brains sticking out from where they sat, quietly playing the Royal Game of Oz together. Dorothy was impressed, again with the wonderful brains the Wizard had given the Scarecrow. He had such a sharp mind now.

"Well, Dorothy," the Scarecrow finally said after some time of deep thinking. "I don't know why you might be unhappy. Probably, instead of talking to one of us from this fairyland, you should talk to your Aunt Em."

Dorothy brightened. "Of course, why didn't I think of that?!" she exclaimed. She ran and hugged the Scarecrow. "I knew I could rely on my good friends."

* * * * *

After Dorothy lunched at Scarecrow's, the friends climbed into the Red Wagon and headed back toward Emerald City. Just outside the city they turned off the yellow brick road and went to the small farm north of the city where Dorothy's aunt and uncle lived.

Even though the tireless Sawhorse, with his knothole eyes and his twig tail, made excellent time, it was still supper time before they arrived.

Aunt Em and Uncle Henry greeted their niece warmly. Henry pounded the Tin Man on the shoulder and they laughed at the boom. Em tutted over a new hole in the Scarecrow's shirt and promised to mend him in the morning.

When they went in Dorothy smelled some of Em's wonderful cooking. She realized that Aunt Em probably had only fixed enough for Uncle Henry and herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should've let you know I was coming!" she exclaimed in dismay.

"It's all right. Henry will cut off some more cheese," Em told her.

Just then, there came a knock. Dorothy ran over lightly and opened it.

"Princess Dorothy, how good to see you," said the lady who lived next door to Dorothy's family. She handed a covered dish to Em before giving the little Princess an embrace. Dorothy was delighted to see more of her Aunt's neighbors coming over with a covered dish.

That evening Dorothy was the gracious Princess and greeted visitors. She didn't get a moment alone with her Aunt until the kindly old woman tucked her into bed.

"What's the matter, Dorothy dear?" she asked gently.

In all the years that her Aunt and Uncle had lived in Oz, they had grown comfortable with luxuries they never had in America, but they were still the loving couple who had taken her in when Dorothy's own parents had died.

"Oh, I don't know, Aunt Em," Dorothy said, giving the old woman a hug. "I sometimes get to feeling so sad and I don't know why."

Em smoothed the child's hair down thoughtfully. 

"Dorothy, when you had Ozma bring Henry and me here we were already old and worn out. We had known pain and joy. But we have grown up and grown old and lived a very full life."

"Yes, Aunt Em," Dorothy said, listening intently.

"But you on the other hand, have not," Em frowned, looking out the window into the night. "Dorothy," she finally started again, "do you know how long you have lived here in Oz?"

"No," the little girl replied.

"Ninety years or so," the old woman told her.

Dorothy's hands flew to her mouth. "Ninety?"

"Yes. If we still lived in Kansas, Henry and I would most certainly be dead, and you would be very old."

"I had no idea," Dorothy said softly, more to herself.

"Shortly after I arrived I realized that there were no seasons here or any other, normal ways to keep track so I started," Em told her. "But what I think maybe wrong is that you've been a little girl - playing little girl games - but with some great big responsibilities sometimes.

"You're not a fairy like Ozma. Maybe little girls are just supposed to grow up someday."

"But I can't here in Oz, Aunt Em. Do you mean I'll have to leave Oz?" Dorothy asked. "Leave all my friends behind and go back to Kansas!" Dorothy started sobbing, knowing that if she returned to Kansas she would never see all her friends again. "I couldn't be happy in Kansas without everyone I love."

"No, you don't have to grow up physically, but there's no reason why you can't ask Ozma to give you regular duties that you do each day. Like on the farm, you had chores to do each day."

"But you and Uncle Henry needed my help on the farm," Dorothy told her.

"That's true, but it's also how children learn to grow up. You learn knowledge in school, but chores, or duties, prepare you to be grown up."

"I'll try it, Aunt Em!" Dorothy exclaimed, giving her aunt another hug.

* * * * *

After breakfasting with her Aunt and Uncle; Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman went into Emerald City. 

They arrived just before Ozma's audience ended. Dorothy asked the soldier with green whiskers to announce her. 

When Dorothy was announced, Ozma rose from her Emerald throne and greeted her warmly.

"Did you have a nice trip, Dorothy?" the graceful fairy asked.

"I did, but I have a request." With that she dropped into a low curtsy.

"What is it, Dorothy? Of course I'll grant it," Ozma told her, holding out her hand and raising her friend back to her feet.

"I want some duties that are all my own," Dorothy told her.

Ozma nodded. "I will need to think about what duties to assign you. But tomorrow you shall join me in the morning to watch me work."

* * * * *

At the end of what Aunt Em said was a year, Ozma made Dorothy the Governor of the Emerald City and the lush green lands that surrounded it. At the party to celebrate the event, Dorothy wore all the symbols that represented her new responsibilities. A long jewel encrusted sash with the royal appointment was across her chest and the key that Ozma had kept and carried when she acted in the place of the Governor. A large emerald with the emblem of the Emerald City on it and a new little crown made just for her since she was the first princess to ever be Governor. All of her friends came from all over Oz to see the happy little girl.

When Dot and Trot, the two other little girls who lived in Oz, saw how happy Dorothy was, they asked Ozma for duties as well.

Dot became the Princess of the Munchkins, where she became the most popular ruler ever.

Trot became the Princess of the Gillikin County. She was soon beloved by most of her wild county's many strange peoples. The Winged Monkeys even kept a messenger at her castle so she could always communicate with even the wildest corners of her land.


End file.
